


The Axe Wielder

by TheClownsLaugh



Category: The Sword to Unite
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Time Skips, Wedgrud doesn't die, blood and wounds, soft romo, there's like one kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-10-06 07:01:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17340788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheClownsLaugh/pseuds/TheClownsLaugh
Summary: Wedgrud doesn't die and is made prisoner by Cedric's men. Surprisingly, that one elf that beat him comes to speak with him...





	The Axe Wielder

**Author's Note:**

> There is almost no content at all for this book so let me provide - this actually is an old thing from when I first read the book, back in 2017, but I never dared to post it anywhere.  
> I hope you enjoy!

Surprisingly enough, Beorn didn't kill him. Sure, he was now quite beated up but he was very much alive. Beorn brought him back to their camp, still pulling him by the hair. Wedgrud hated that. Sure, he hadn't had much time to wash it lately but his hair was precious to him. What was the point of letting it grow, if not?

At the camp, Wedgrud was spit on and hit a few more times. He went through all of this with his infamous sardonic smile on his lips. That seemed to anger them even more, which was amusing to see. They couldn't do him a thing – or so he led them to think. He wasn't even armed. He let one of his axes in the chest of a young stupid boy and the other one was taken by that elf. He wondered if he was still alive somewhere, as he didn't see him in the camp.

Some punks tied his hands and made him sit somewhere they could keep their eyes on him. It was near the place they kept their wounded.

Ooh~ He could see his axe. They didn't took it out in order to keep the boy alive a bit more. Wedgrud knew he wouldn't live long, though.

“Proud of yourself?” asked a voice.

Wedgrud turned his head away from the wounded and toward the voice. Ah. It was the elf.

“Three against one, elf. I wounded all three of you and I'm still alive.”

“I take it as a yes.”

“Good, because it is.”

Wedgrud's smile wavered when the elf sat next to him. What did he want? What could possibly make the elf sit there?

“I didn't think he'd let you live.”

“Is that so? I didn't think so either, elf.”

“Stop calling me that, I have a name.”

“I'm sure you do but I don't know it.”

The elf laughed.

“Alright, then. I'll call you 'human' from now on.”

“Or you could call me Wedgrud.”

The elf smirked. He took a smoking pipe and lighted it.

“Why would I do this?”

“To apologize for my face, maybe?” suggested Wedgrud. “And it could be my name as well.”

“My, should I? Then you could me Alfnod in return. How about that, _Wedgrud_?”

The emphasis he put on his name made Wedgrud shudder.

“Deal, _Alfnod._ I'd gladly shake your hand but sadly mine are tied up.”

Alfnod chuckled. He exhaled some smoke then seemed to notice that the human watched Eadwine taking care of Galdwin.

“His name his Galdwin. He... he is so young. If he dies now, which I hope he won't, he would have never gotten the chance to live his life.”

Actually, Wedgrud was trying to see what they were doing with his axe but he didn't see anything. He registered what Alfnod was saying and answered:

“He'll die; I don't do my job half-way. And would you have liked it better if I slayed _you_ open?”

“I'm positive I would have.”

“Oh but then you wouldn't have known the name of the warrior who killed you, would you?”

“I wouldn't,” agreed Alfnod, “but that's no big deal. I'd be dead either way.”

“Then what about that: since you were the one who defeated me, if you had died I would have killed all of your friends, including that boy.”

“Galdwin.”

“Same thing, elf, same thing.”

Alfnod took some time to think. He watched over his friends – so few of them left. Some knights joined them but he had no doubts Wedgrud would have killed Cedric and Galdwin, at least. And maybe a lot of other as well. He shook his head, trying to get that thought out of his head.

He heard Wedgrud mutter something but he couldn't really understand what he was saying so he got a bit closer.

“...'re doing with my axe, assholes.”

“What about your axes?” aked Alfnod, a bit confused, as Wedgrud eyes were still upon the wounded.

He then saw a villager take the axe that was previously embeded into Galdwin's chest. Next to him, Wedgrud literally growled.

“Don't touch my axe with your filthy hands, you son of a bitch.”

“You talk about filthy?” asked Alfnod incredulously.

“Well sorry if I was on the road for the past week,” answered Weldgrud sarcastically.

“Oh, is that right?”

Alfnod's smile was covered in honey but Wedgrud saw trought it. He rolled his eyes and kept staring holes into the villager that held his precious axe.

 

***

 

A bowl clattered before him. Wedgrud lifted his head up a bit, to see some food awaiting him. The one who brought him the food was Alfnod.

“Why, thank you, dearest,” said Wedgrud. “How am I supposed to eat with my hands tied?”

“Believe me or not, I intended to let your hands free.”

“What generosity.”

“Yeah well I also really didn't want to feed you myself.”

Wedgrud barked a loud laugh.

“Now I'm _really_ thankful.”

“But can I trust you not to try and kill us all?”

Wedgrud shrugged.

“Do you see an axe somewhere? I don't even know what that fucker did with it...”

“Don't worry about it too much,” said Alfnod as he cut his bounds.

“Thanks,” grumbled the bandit.

He then grabbed the bowl and the spoon that went with it and ate everything really fast. Alfnod let out a laugh.

“Were you that hungry?”

“I still am, elf.”

“What did I say about that term, human?”

Wedgrud crossed his arms behind his head and lied on the floor, looking up at Alfnod.

“Sorry, buddy. Seemed more appropriate than your name.”

“Seriously, what's wrong with my name?”

Wedgrud barked his laugh again then grabbed the sheets that covered a knight not far from him. He rolled in in order to warm up a bit. He was still shirtless, after all.

“G'night, Alfnod,” he said with a smirk.

Alfnod didn't even bother anwering, only rolling his eyes and went to see Cedric.

 

***

 

“So...” started Alfnod. “What are your tattooes for?”

“To make curious elves talk,” replied Wedgrud quite harshly.

Alfnod furrowed his brow. Wedgrud wasn't usually that harsh. He coated his words with sugar, pride and sarcasm.

 

***

 

The war was ended and won. They were all exhausted. Wedgrud walked amongst the wounded for he was given this job in exchange for free hands. Nobody trusted him when he asked them to give him his axe back so he could help. He understood were that came from, though.

And he still had no idea where his axe was.

He suddenly caught sight of a familiar face. He rushed to Alfnod's side.

“What's up, buddy? You don't look great.”

“Thanks, you too,” replied Alfnod weakly.

“Seriously, what happened?”

Alfnod looked at him painfully. Wedgrud seemed geniunely worried, which was a surprise.

“I took an arrow.”

“Only an arrow? That's a relief.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?” sighed Alfnod.

“If you want to know, I think axes are much better to fight with than bows. It allows much more blows and it much quicker as well.”

“Yeah well only if it's close combat.”

“Fair enough.”

Neither of them said anything. They seemed a bit embarrassed. Wedgrud scratched his neck.

“Do... do you need anything?”

“Thanks, I'm good.”

“Alright then. I'll go back to help Gaspard, I guess.”

He stood up and turned to leave when Alfnod called:

“Wedgrud!”

He turned back, surprised.

“What is it?”

Alfnod had a smirk on his face as he said: “Your hair looks nice, like this.”

Wedgrud barked out a laugh and thanked him. He then quickly turned away so he couldn't see the red spread on his face. But that hairstyle showed his ears so Alfnod could see them redden suddenly. His smile softened as he watched the back of the bandit move further and further away.

 

***

 

Alfnod didn't heal properly. He now needed a cane to walk with and sometimes still felt pain where his scar was. He was given a chancellor status. He hesistated quite a bit before accepting. Giving up his travelling life was a lot to ask him. But he didn't feel like he would ever be able to travel that much again.

That saddened him a lot but he ended up liking it. Living in Wulfstan was much different, yet sometimes as entertaining.

At the end of the war, Alfnod gave Wedgrud his axe back. Seeing that much happiness in the eyes of the bandit made his heart throb but he thought nothing of it, since it happenend often, after his wound.

He had asked Wedgrud to live a righteous life and not one bathed in crime, in exchange for the blade. The bandit had laughed and then said:

“My blade alone won't suffice, elf.”

Alfnod didn't pay attention to the way he called him. He always said “elf” when he teased him.

“What will, then?”

As the smile on Wedgrud's face widened, Alfnod had flinched. He feared his wish a bit.

Before he could react, two rugged hands were at his face. He had closed his eyes in surprise and had tried to jerk away. He didn't manage.

He only had felt lips upon his own.

His eyes had opened right away, to meet Wedgrud's smirk.

“That should do the trick,” he said.

He had held out his hand expectingly and Alfnod had shaken it. Then Wedgrud walked out of his life, along the road, playing with his newly retrieved axe. He was on his way to retrieve the second one.

When his back totally dissapeared from his view, Alfnod had buried his face into his hands as he felt he was blushing.

 

***

 

Only a decade later did they meet again. Alfnod was sitting on a bench in a park, resting from a tedious week. He watched people walk and play. The man with black curly hair didn't catch his eyes at first. But as he walked away, he saw two axes fastened in his back.

Alfnod shot up from his bench. He couldn't walk fast enough to catch up with the man. He cursed his old wound but started to walk into the direction he saw the man go. Luckily, he saw him enter a tavern just in time. He made his way to the tavern and went in. He had left his chancellor cape at home ; without it, only few people recognized him. He saw the man at the counter. As he walked slowly toward him, he noticed that his hair was tied up. It let see a tattoo on his nape. If it really was him, that tattoo was new – or at least Alfnod never saw it before.

He sat next to the man and ordered some mead. From the corner of his eye, Alfnod watched the man. The tattoos on his face had expanded and his hair was now sparkled with grey but it indeed was _him_. He could recognize that smirk amongst thousands.

“Wedgrud?” he called softly.

Surprised, he turned his head toward him. His smile faltered a second when he saw him and then widened again.

“What's up, elf?”

“The ceiling, human.”

Wedgrud let out his barking laugh. The sound warmed Alfnod's heart. They embraced each other.

“Same axe?” asked Alfnod.

“Always. Ah, and don't worry, I'm not a bandit or anything, I kept my word.”

“Really? That's great,” said Alfnod. He was remembering the “word” he had given at that time. A memory he recalled fondly. “So what do you do, now?”

“I'm a bodyguard. It pays well, I get a room to sleep at night and I get to use my babies. Never been defeated.”

“That's presomptuous. _I_ defeated you.”

“Simple fluke. I'd play with you again to prove it but you're like an old man, now.”

“Oh, please.”

A man stood up a few tables away and Wedgrud exclaimed:

“I'm sorry, Alfnod, I have to go. Work. Bye, friend.”

And as he walked away, Alfnod shouted to him:

“Your hair's looking nice!”

Wedgrud lifted his arm in the air as a silent salute and Alfnod could almost see the smile on his face.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! <3
> 
> English is not my first language, I did my best but if you see a mistake please tell me so I can improve! \^o^/


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